Kuwait's No. 2 telecom operator Wataniya has named Peter Kaliaropoulos as chief operating officer, six months after the Australian left regional rival Batelco.

His appointment follows that of Abdulaziz Fakhroo as chief executive in March as Wataniya - 92 percent-owned by Qatar's Ooredoo - tries to halt a sustained earnings slump. The Kuwaiti firm's profits fell in six of the past seven quarters.

Wataniya, which also has operations in Algeria, Tunisia, the Maldives and the Palestinian Territories, did not make a formal statement to the media announcing Kaliaropoulos's appointment, but he is now listed on the company's website as among its senior management team.

Kaliaropoulos left Batelco - formally called Bahrain Telecommunications Co - in June after eight years, his roles having included CEO and chief operating officer.